Thomas Bryant (basketball) facts for kids
Bryant with the Washington Wizards in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | July 31, 1997 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College | Indiana (2015–2017) | ||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Round: 2 / Pick: 42nd overall | ||||||||||
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |||||||||||
| Pro career | 2017–present | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | →South Bay Lakers | ||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Washington Wizards | ||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Miami Heat | ||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Indiana Pacers | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Medals
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Thomas Jermaine Bryant (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Thomas Bryant was part of the Denver Nuggets team that won the 2023 NBA Finals.
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High School Basketball Journey
Thomas Bryant started his high school basketball career at Bishop Kearney. In his second year, he helped his team win the 2013 New York Class AA Tournament. They also won the New York Federation Tournament of Champions.
Moving to Huntington Prep
After his sophomore year, Bryant moved to Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia. As a junior, he averaged nearly 14 points and 13 rebounds per game. He also blocked almost 3 shots per game. During this time, he played for Team SCAN in the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) league.
In his senior year, Bryant continued to play well. He averaged over 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. Many top colleges wanted him to play for them. These included Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse, and UCLA.
Choosing a College Team
Bryant's final choice was between Indiana and Syracuse. He decided to play for the Indiana Hoosiers. His decision was shown live on ESPN on April 4, 2015.
He also played in the McDonald's All-American Game. This game features the best high school basketball players in the country. Bryant scored 9 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in that game.
College Basketball Career
Thomas Bryant had a great start to his college career at Indiana. In one game against Creighton, he scored 17 points and had 7 rebounds. He also blocked 4 shots. In the NCAA Tournament, he scored 19 points against Kentucky.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
As a freshman, Bryant averaged almost 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. He also made the Third-team All-Big Ten.
Bryant decided to stay for his sophomore year. His shooting percentage went down a bit, but he still averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. He also blocked 1.5 shots per game. Many experts thought he might be a top pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2018)
On June 22, 2017, the Utah Jazz picked Thomas Bryant as the 42nd player in the 2017 NBA draft. Soon after, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed his first NBA contract with the Lakers on July 30, 2017.
The Lakers often sent Bryant to play for their G League team, the South Bay Lakers. The G League is like a minor league for the NBA. After the 2017–18 season, he was named to the All-NBA G League First Team. This means he was one of the best players in that league. The Lakers later let Bryant go on June 30, 2018.
Playing for the Washington Wizards (2018–2022)
On July 2, 2018, the Washington Wizards picked up Thomas Bryant. He quickly showed his skills. On December 22, 2018, he scored a career-high 31 points against the Phoenix Suns. He made all 14 of his shots in that game. This was one of the best shooting performances in NBA history.
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In July 2019, Bryant signed a new contract with the Wizards. On January 10, 2021, he suffered a serious knee injury. He tore a ligament in his left knee. This injury ended his season after only ten games.
Bryant worked hard to recover. He returned to play for the Wizards on January 12, 2022. He scored 6 points in a win against the Orlando Magic.
Back with the Lakers (2022–2023)
On July 6, 2022, Thomas Bryant signed again with the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 18, he made a game-winning dunk against his old team, the Washington Wizards. On January 22, 2023, he tied his career high with 31 points. He also grabbed 14 rebounds in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Winning a Championship with the Denver Nuggets (2023)
On February 9, 2023, Bryant was traded to the Denver Nuggets. This trade involved four different teams. The Nuggets went on to win the 2023 NBA Finals that year. They beat the Miami Heat in five games. This win gave Thomas Bryant his first NBA championship title.
Joining the Miami Heat (2023–2024)
On July 2, 2023, Bryant signed a contract with the Miami Heat. He played for them for about a year. He re-signed with the Heat on July 3, 2024.
Moving to the Indiana Pacers (2024–2025)
On December 15, 2024, Thomas Bryant was traded to the Indiana Pacers. This trade involved the Pacers and the Heat swapping some future draft picks.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | L.A. Lakers | 15 | 0 | 4.8 | .381 | .100 | .556 | 1.1 | .4 | .1 | .1 | 1.5 |
| 2018–19 | Washington | 72 | 53 | 20.8 | .616 | .333 | .781 | 6.3 | 1.3 | .3 | .9 | 10.5 |
| 2019–20 | Washington | 46 | 36 | 24.9 | .581 | .407 | .741 | 7.2 | 1.8 | .5 | 1.1 | 13.2 |
| 2020–21 | Washington | 10 | 10 | 27.1 | .648 | .429 | .667 | 6.1 | 1.5 | .4 | .8 | 14.3 |
| 2021–22 | Washington | 27 | 9 | 16.3 | .520 | .286 | .875 | 4.0 | .9 | .2 | .8 | 7.4 |
| 2022–23† | L.A. Lakers | 41 | 25 | 21.4 | .654 | .440 | .741 | 6.8 | .7 | .3 | .6 | 12.1 |
| Denver | 18 | 1 | 11.4 | .485 | .444 | .722 | 3.3 | .1 | .1 | .4 | 4.6 | |
| 2023–24 | Miami | 38 | 4 | 11.6 | .577 | .182 | .872 | 3.7 | .6 | .3 | .4 | 5.7 |
| 2024–25 | Miami | 10 | 0 | 11.5 | .429 | .353 | 1.000 | 3.2 | .4 | .1 | .9 | 4.1 |
| Indiana | 56 | 8 | 15.1 | .515 | .321 | .830 | 3.9 | .9 | .5 | .6 | 6.9 | |
| Career | 333 | 146 | 17.7 | .582 | .346 | .778 | 5.1 | 1.0 | .3 | .7 | 8.9 | |
NBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023† | Denver | 1 | 0 | .5 | — | — | — | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 2024 | Miami | 2 | 0 | 8.9 | .714 | .000 | .667 | 2.5 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| 2025 | Indiana | 20 | 0 | 8.4 | .485 | .500 | .786 | 1.4 | .2 | .2 | .3 | 2.6 |
| Career | 23 | 0 | 8.0 | .525 | .450 | .765 | 1.4 | .2 | .2 | .3 | 2.8 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Indiana | 35 | 35 | 22.6 | .683 | .333 | .706 | 5.8 | 1.0 | .5 | .9 | 11.9 |
| 2016–17 | Indiana | 34 | 34 | 28.1 | .519 | .383 | .730 | 6.6 | 1.5 | .8 | 1.5 | 12.6 |
| Career | 69 | 69 | 25.3 | .592 | .373 | .718 | 6.2 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.2 | 12.2 | |
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Bryant para niños
